Clamping means for inside gun holster



Jan. 24, 1967 J. CLARK CLAMPING MEANS FOR INSIDE GUN HOLSTER Filed Jan. 19, 1966 INVENTOR.

1 B 62, a z/as ArfafA/y United States Patent Ofifice 3 ,3 lid, l W ?atented Jan. 24,1967

Clark Leather Goods Corp., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Jan. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 521,640 Claims. (Cl. 224-2) This invention relates to an inside gun holster of the type shown in my application for patent, Serial No. 340,926 filed in the United States Patent Ofi'ice on January 29, 1964, now Patent No. 3,250,448 and wherein the holster is adapted to be worn inside the top of the trousers of the user.

The present invention constitutes an improvement over the holster .shown in my above identified application in point of a new construction and arrangement of clamp means, particularly that related part of such means which mounts the clamp of the clamp means on the holster and which makes it possible for the holster to be repeatedly removed from the top of the trousers and reclamped thereon over long periods of use of the holster, without likelihood of loosening or failure of the mounting means or loosening of the clamp.

It has been found that with holsters of the type shown in my aforementioned application, long use thereof has, on occasion, brought about objectionable loosening of the clamp and the mounting means therefor. At times severing of stitches employed for the mounting means has taken place due to the clamp being made of resilient metal and having edges thereof disposed against or in position to contact the stitching for the mounting means. The mounting means is in the form of a leather strip secured to the holster by stitching extending along opposite longitudinal edges and the bottom edge only of the strip to form a pocket open at the upper and unstitched edge of the strip to permit a portion of the clamp to be inserted into the pocket to fit snugly therein. With this pocket open at the top, there was a tendency for he clamp to shift laterally and contact the stitching adjacent the top, thereby wearing the stitching and in time severing it and causing looseness of the clamping means as a whole.

It is another object of the present invention to eliminate the aforementioned objections by employing clamping means including a leather mounting strip that is stitched to the holster to form a pocket for reception of a part of the clamp proper, and wherein access to the interior of the pocket is provided only by a slot spaced from all margins of the strip as well as spaced from the stitching.

A further object is to provide a holster clamping means such as described wherein the stitching for the pocket forming strip extends around all margins of the strip, thereby surrounding the pocket so that access to the pocket is had through the slot only. In this arrangement there is also provided a more secure holding of the clamp portion in the pocket, as the upper edge of the slot abuts a portion of the clamp and thereby affords considerable resistance to withdrawal of such portion of the clamp out of the pocket through the slot.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described or will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and the novel features of the invention will be defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a holster embodying the present invention as it would appear when worn inside the top of the trousers of the user;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the holster and means thereon for clamping the holster to the top of the trousers;

FIG.- 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2, on an enlarged scale;

FIG.- 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2 on a somewhat enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3, showing the holster and clamp as they would appear when clamped to the top of the trousers; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the clamp removed from the holster.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, a holster embodying the present invention includes a body 7 adapted to releasably support a revolver R when mounted in a substantially concealed position inside the top of the trousers T of the user as indicated in FIG. 1. The body 7 may be made of a single piece of leather or other suitable material which is doubled upon itself, stitched together at the edges as at 8, and suitably shaped in a manner to releasably support the revolver and at the same time avoid undue bulkiness in consideration of the holster being worn inside the waistband portion of the trousers.

In accordance with this invention, novel means are provided on the holster body 7 for releasably locking the holster against unintentional withdrawal or displacement from the desired concealed and substantially upright position inside the top of the trousers of the user. This means is constructed and arranged so that it will releasably lock the holster in place incident to positioning the holster inside the top of the trousers. An outer element of the locking means is disposed so that it will extend over the top of the waistband and downwardly over the outer side of the waistband for cooperation with a second or inner locking element disposed on the holster body inside the trousers. The outer locking element is tensioned to force the material of the trousers below the belt area of the waistband into engagement with the other or inner locking element in such a manner as to releasably lock the holster against withdrawal upwardly or angular movement to either side of the desired substantially upright position of the holster inside the waistband.

Referring more specifically to the releasable locking means above referred to, it will be seen that it may comprise a resilient clamp generally designated 9 that is carried by the body 7 for cooperation with mounting means also on the body 7 providing an outstanding shoulder or abutment 10 against which the material of the trousers is forced by the clamp to effect the desired releasable locking action as will be apparent with reference to FIG. 5. In this connection, it should be noted that when a belt B, shown in FIG. 1 and by dot-dash lines in FIG. 5, is used, the clamp 9 extends over and below the belt, thereby making the locking action effective with or without the presence of a belt.

The clamp 9 may consist of spring metal or other suitable resilient material in strip form that is bent to an inverted U-shaped to provide an inner leg 9a and an outer clamping leg 9b interconnected by a bight portion 90.

Means for mounting the clamp 9 on the holster in accordance with this invention also makes it possible for the clamp 9 to clamp the trousers to hold the holster in place, consequently the clamping means as a whole, as here provided, includes the aforesaid mounting means. This mounting means comprises an elongate leather strip 11 having rounded ends and stitched to a side of the holster to form therewith a pocket 12. Access is had to the pocket 12 through a slot 13 spaced well from all margins and all stitching and adapted to have the inner leg 9a of the clamp 9 inserted therethrough into the pocket 12. The stitching designated 14 as here shown, extends around all margins of the strip 11 and therefore surrounds the pocket. With this arrangement no part of the clamp is close to the stitching and wear and possible severing of the stitching is prevented.

The inner leg 9a of the clamp 9 is provided with pointed prongs or kerfs 15 which will bite into the inner side of the strip 11 and resist withdrawal of leg 9a from the pocket 12. The upper edge of the slot 13 also overlies the bight portion 9c as shown in FIGS. 3 and when the inner leg 9a is in the pocket 12, and this further restrains withdrawal of the leg 9a from the pocket.

The main portion 9d of the outer leg 9b is enlarged so that it has greater width than the inner leg 90 to reinforce the clamp. This wider portion 9d may be provided with reinforcing ribs h. The bight portion 90 has the same width as the portion 9d and has a tapering portion 9e extending therefrom to form the upper end of leg 9a where it joins the bight portion 90. With this arrangement the slot 13 is only slightly longer than the width of the portions 9c and 92 so that these portions will have a snug fit in the slot. The outer leg 9b is provided adjacent its lower end with a U-shaped inwardly extended lockin portion 16. Beyond this locking portion the free end of the leg @a forms a tab or handle portion 9f by means of which the leg may be sprung outwardly to lift the locking portion 16 from locking position.

The shoulder or abutment 19 is provided on the pocket forming strip 11 and cooperates with the locking portion 16 on the outer leg 9b to clamp the material of the trousers as shown in FIG. 5. This abutment or shoulder 10, as here shown, constitutes the upper edge of an opening 17 formed in the strip 11. The clamp 9 is tensioned so that the outer leg 9b is urged toward the strip 11 so as normally to enter the opening 17 and bear against the portion of the inner leg that is disposed in the opening 17 as shown in FIG. 3. When the holster is clamped in place, the outer leg W; by its portion 16 will engage the material of the trousers of the user and force this material into the opening 17 against the shoulder 10, as shown in FIG. 5, thereby securely holding the holster in place.

With reference to the accompanying drawing and foregoing description, it will be apparent that the present holster and its clamping means constitutes an improvement in the holster art for the reasons herein set forth and since the holster when mounted inside the upper part of the trousers of the wearer and pushed downwardly will cause the outer leg of the clamping means to grip a portion of the trousers and force such portion into locked position to securely retain the holster in place. Release of the holster as readily may be effected by grasping the handle portion 9 and lifting the locking portion 16 from locking position.

While specific structural details have been shown and described, it should be understood that changes and alterations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clamp for holding a holster inside the top of trousers of the user, comprising: a U-shaped resilient clamping member; means forming on the holster a pocket including stitching securing said pocket forming means to said holster; said pocket forming means having a slot therein affording access to said pocket; said slot being spaced inwardly from said stitching and all of the margins of said pocket forming means; said clamping means having one leg extended through said slot into said pocket so that the other leg is on the outer side of said pocket forming means in position to clamp against the outer side of the material of the trousers when the holster is positioned inside the trousers; and said pocket forming means having thereon a shoulder below said slot and against which said other leg will clamp the trouser mate rial to hold said holster in place.

2.. The clamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shoulder comprises the edge of an opening in said pocket forming means into which opening said trouser material is forced by said other leg to engage said shoulder.

3. The clamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pocket forming means is in the form of an elongate strip of material; and wherein said stitching extends through all of the margins of said strip and surrounds said pocket.

4. The clamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pocket forming means is in the form of an elongate strip with said slot spaced from the top and sides of the strip and constituting the only opening into said pocket through which said one leg of said member may be extended; and said shoulder is formed as an edge of an opening which is spaced from the end and side margins of said strip for receiving the transverse material forced therein by said other leg to contact said shoulder.

55. The clamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one leg has means thereon engageable with the inner surface of a wall of said pocket to restrain wtihdrawal of said one leg from said pocket.

6. The clamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pocket forming means constitutes an elongate strip of material; and prongs on said one leg of said clamping member operable to bite into the inner surface of said strip to prevent Withdrawal of said one leg from said pocket.

7. The clamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein said stitching surrounds said pocket forming means.

8. The clamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein said other leg has a portion extending inwardly therefrom; and said shoulder constitutes an edge of an opening formed in said pocket forming means and into which said inwardly extending portion of said other leg extends for forcing the trouser material into said opening and against said shoulder.

59. The clamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pocket forming means includes a strip of flexible material and said stitching passes through all of the outer margins of said strip so as to surround said pocket; said slot being formed in inwardly spaced relation to the upper margin of said strip and having its end spaced from said stitching; said shoulder being formed as a transverse edge of an opening formed in said strip; an inwardly projecting portion formed on said other leg for forcing the trouser material into said opening and against said shoulder; said other leg being tensioned to extend into said opening; and a gripping portion constituting the outer end of said other le disposed so that it may be gripped to lift said inwardly projecting portion out of said opening.

10. The clamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein said other leg for the greater part thereof and the portion of the clamp joining the two legs are of greater width than said one leg, to reinforce the clamp; said other leg having an inwardly extended locking portion between said wide part thereof and the free end of said other leg; said pocket forming means constituting a leather strip; said strip having an opening therein providing said shoulder and to receive said locking portion; and said free end serving as a handle for moving said other leg to move said locking portion out of said opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/ 1946 Ohlemeyer 2243 1/1966 Dickey 224-2, 

1. A CLAMP FOR HOLDING A HOLSTER INSIDE THE TOP OF TROUSERS OF THE USER, COMPRISING: A U-SHAPED RESILIENT CLAMPING MEMBER; MEANS FORMING ON THE HOLSTER A POCKET INCLUDING STITCHING SECURING SAID POCKET FORMING MEANS TO SAID HOLSTER; SAID POCKET FORMING MEANS HAVING A SLOT THEREIN AFFORDING ACCESS TO SAID POCKET; SAID SLOT BEING SPACED INWARDLY FROM SAID STITCHING AND ALL OF THE MARGINS OF SAID POCKET FORMING MEANS; SAID CLAMPING MEANS HAVING ONE LEG EXTENDED THROUGH SAID SLOT INTO SAID POCKET SO THAT THE OTHER LEG IS ON THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID POCKET FORMING MEANS IN POSITION TO CLAMP AGAINST THE OUTER SIDE OF THE MATERIAL OF THE TROUSERS; AND SAID POCKET FORMIS POSITIONED INSIDE THE TROUSERS; AND SAID POCKET FORMING MEANS HAVING THEREON A SHOULDER BELOW SAID SLOT AND AGAINST WHICH SAID OTHER LEG WILL CLAMP THE TROUSER MATERIAL TO HOLD SAID HOLSTER IN PLACE. 